The True Skills of Craftsmanship

Chapter Eight

The True Skills of Craftsmanship

Building a ship requires knowledge. Through diligent study you may acquire "head-knowledge." Many folks are full of "book-smarts" and their intelligence glows like a lighthouse in the night. Building a Mentorship requires "heart-knowledge."

AID to MENTOR NAVIGATION Part 15

Many Teachers and Preachers go to school to learn their craft of teaching and preaching. They receive little instruction on forming relationships with those to whom they will teach. Their focus is on the textbook and the transference of "head-knowledge" into the "student-heads" of their audience. Sometimes this approach is about as useful as a Preacher giving a group of cloistered nuns a message about birth control. A true craftsman will focus on the heart first.

Building a chair would require knowledge of the human body. The type of chair would require specific knowledge about who would sit in the chair. You probably wouldn't design a booster seat for a Sumo wrestler. Knowing how to be a Mentor begins with compassion. It is possible to possess all knowledge about children and be a lousy Mentor. While crafting your Mentorship, pay special attention to the heart - both yours and the person you are Mentoring.

The heart is like a ship with many chambers. The Titanic was built by master craftsmen who used the most advanced technology available. They arrogantly thought the Titanic was "unsinkable." The 16 water tight chambers filled with water and the ship sank. Your heart has chambers that can be flooded with troubles and sink your Mentoring efforts. You must learn to carry pain without being contagious to those to whom you Mentor. It is not wise to discuss your brokenness with someone you are Mentoring unless you really feel it will help them.

AID to MENTOR NAVIGATION Part 16

Human Arrogance was the major reason for the immensity of life loss aboard the ill-fated ship. There is no ship that is unsinkable and there is no heart that is unbreakable. What will you do when you have to minister to a broken heart? Most young people believe that no one understands their pain. You might have walked in similar circumstances but it is very important to realize that each person views pain differently. Do not expect someone to handle pain the way you do. There is no: "one-size-fits-all." Though wounds may be similar, our perception of pain is personal.

You may be the life boat that has been missing from your student's life. The craftsmanship used in building the Titanic was superior; the builders haughtiness caused failure in providing enough lifeboats for all passengers. The Titanic had only 20 lifeboats that could carry 1,140 passengers. The builders of the ship did not want to carry more lifeboats because where they would be stored would   obscure the view of passengers on deck. The number of people on board the doomed vessel was approximately 2,233. Superior craftsmanship should include planning for disasters that will happen. Please notice: "WILL HAPPEN" not "might happen."

There are plenty of psychology books that teach about relationships and brokenness. I would urge you to study them voraciously. That's a small piece of your Craftsmanship. The Craftsmanship of a Mentor should lean heavily on compassion and empathy combined with ears tuned into the heart. Please treat each wound with fresh understanding. Each heart is unique. Many times you will not need to solve a problem, you will just need to listen and be a sounding board. A young person hungers for the emotional food of your presence - they want to know somebody cares.